Folding mechanism for printing machines



Sept. 12, 1939. H. P. CLAUBERG FOLDING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES 3Sheets-Sheet l Filed Nov. 27, 1937 INVENTOR.

Sept. 12, 1939. H. P. CLAUBE RG FOLDING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINESFiled Nov. 2'7, 1937 s Sheets-Sheet 2 IN'VENTOR. Adwjf-ay A PatentedSept. 12, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFiCE FOLDING MECHANISM FOR PRINTINMACHINES Application November 27, 1937, Serial No. 176,786

14 Glaims.

This invention relates to sheet folding mechanism for a printing or likemachineoperating upon a web, and more particularly to an improvedfolding mechanism adapted for use with 5 such a machine, to permit rapidoperation of the machine without interfering with the efiicientoperation of the folding mechanism.

Sheets, cut from a web being acted upon by a printing machine, aregenerally folded one or more times before delivery. When the sheets arefirst cut and later given a longitudinal fold, the fold is usually madeby a chopper type folder. This form of folding mechanism has verydesirable characteristics but it cannot be operated satisfactorily atvery high speeds, and in consequence, printing machines having suchfolders must be operated at slower speeds than that at which highquality printing can be done. To obviate this disadvantageous condition,a double folder and delivery for the products is herein disclosed,wherein each half of the products being delivered by the machine, willbe directed to a separate folding mechanism of the chopper type, whichmay be run at its most efficient speed, while the printing portion ofthe machine is operated at its normal relatively high speed. Thisrequires slowing down the products as they are being forwarded to thelongitudinal folding mechanism, and means is hereinshown arranged forthis purpose.

At times, several cut products are collected before being forwarded tothe longitudinal folding mechanism, and as the time interval during suchcollection is sufiicient to permit the efficient operation of thefolding mechanism, a double delivery arrangement is not required. It isdesirable however that all products be slowed down as they are forwardedto a folding mechanism of the chopper type if the printing is done at ahigh speed.

An object of this invention is to provide a folding mechanism for aprinting or like machine operating upon a web, wherein means is providedto forward the products of the machine to separate folding members andwhereby a limitation in speed of the machine is not required, in orderto permit the efiicient operation of the folding mechanism.

Another object is to provide in a folding mechanism, separate foldingmeans to which products of a printing or like machine are alternatelydelivered, and means to reduce the speed of the products before they arereceived by said folding means.

A further object is to provide in a folding mechanism, means to reducethe feeding speed of products being forwarded from a printing or likemachine, before they are received by the folding means of the mechanism.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a sheet folding deviceof generally improved construction, whereby the device will be simple,durable and inexpensive in construction, as well as convenient,practical, serviceable and efficient in its use.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts, and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

The preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a portion of a printing machinedisclosing an improved folding mechanism adapted to form products withopen heads and embodying the features and principles of this invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of a portion of a printing machinedisclosing a similar improved folding mechanism but which is arranged toform products with closed heads;

Figures 3 and 4 are views of folded products produced by the foldingmechanism shown in Figure 1; and

Figures 5 and 6 are views of folded products produced by the foldingmechanism shown in Figure 2.

Referring now to Figure l, the portion of the printing machine adaptedto operate upon a web or webs is shown as including suitably associatedweb guiding rolls IE and II adapted and arranged to associate aplurality of webs that may have previously been printed upon by themachine, and direct them between a pair of cutting cylinders !2 and I3which have cooperating web cutting devices it and 15 adapted to cut thewebs into groups of sheets called cut-offs. One of the cylinders I3, isprovided with suitable sheet engaging members, such as pins it, toengage the leading edges of the webs after each group of sheets is cutand carry them about the cylinder l3 and between it and a collectingcylinder IT. The collecting cylinder I? is herein shown provided with aplurality of sets of sheet engaging and collecting members or pins 18,which take the leading edges from the pins 16, which sets, as is usual,may be selectively operated, whereby cut-offs from the cutting cylindersl2 and 13 may be collected or not, as desired and forwarded from thecollecting cylinder l1, selectively in either of two ways; first, ascollected groups of any desired number of cut-offs to be later foldedlongitudinally in alternation by two folders; or second, as groups ofcollecmd cut-offs to be later folded longitudinally by either of the twofolders.

A transfer cylinder 23, provided with two sets of sheet engaging pins24, which may be selectively operated as desired, is arranged tocooperate with the cylinder H to receive the cut-offs as collected onthe pins l8, and transfer alternate collected cut-offs to a secondtransfer cylinder 25, and those intervening to a longitudinal folder 26of the chopper type; or all of the collected cut-offs may be transferredto either the cylinder 25 or to the longitudinal folder 26.

The cylinder 25 is provided with sheet engaging pins 21, any set ofwhich may be rendered inoperative, and which are operable to receiveunfolded cut-offs from the cylinder 23 and carry them to anotherlongitudinal folder 29. It will be understood that the various sheetengaging pins I3, 24.. and 21 may be operated by Well known mechanismwhereby they may be selectively operated or silenced as desired.

The unfolded cut-offs, that are carried by the pins 24. on the cylinder23, pass between this cylinder and a roller 3|, which is cut away on itsperiphery, as at 32, to release the sheets disposed between it and thecylinder 23. The unfolded sheets carried by the pins 21 on the cylinder25 pass between this cylinder and a roller 33, which is similarly cutaway on its periphery, as at 34, to release the sheets disposed betweenit and the cylinder 25.

After leaving the cooperating cylinders 23 and 25 and the rollers 3| and33 respectively, the unfolded cut-offs are engaged between drivencooperating feeding rollers 35 and 36 whereby they are respectively fedinto either of the longitudinal folding devices 26 and 29. Herein thefolding devices are shown as being of the usual chopper type having avertically reciprocable blade 3'l which. is actuated to press the sheetspositioned below it into the bite of a pair of cooperating foldingrollers 38, only the nearer one of which is shown in the drawings. Therollers 35 and 36 are assisted in disposing the sheets beneath the blade31- and against a locating stop 39 by driven rollers 4| and cooperatingspring pressed rollers 42.

The collecting cylinder I! is preferably driven at printing machinespeed from a shaft 43 through bevel gears 44 and 45 secured respectivelyon the shaft 43 and the cylinder IT. The cylinders 23 and 25 are gearedto the cylinder I! in the usual manner by gear 41 on the shaft 46, gear48 on the shaft of cylinder 23, and a gear 50 on the shaft of cylinder25, and run at printing machine speed to forward the sheets as fast asthe webs are received from the machine. The rollers 35 and 36, in bothinstances, and the rollers 4|, are arranged to be driven preferably at aspeed between 30% and 40% less than the speed of the web or webs fromthe printing machine, whereby the unfolded sheets will be forwarded tothe folder 26 and/or to the folder 29 at the proper speed to insureeflicient operation of these folders. Herein the roller 36 of folder 26is shown so geared to the cylinder 23, by gears 5| and 52 and anintermediate gear 53, and the roller 4| is shown driven from the gear 52by gears 54 in driving arrangement with a gear 55 secured on the shaftofthe roller 4|. 7 Similarly, the rollers 36 and 4| of folder 29 aredriven from the gear 43 of the cylinder 25 which meshes with the idlergear 53 of this folder.

Depending on the selected operative arrangement of pins of therespective cylinders ll, 23 and 25, two different functions are possiblewith as many different forms of open headed products or cut-offs. Forinstance, a first product 2| (see Figure 3), comprising two cut-offscomposed of sheets cut from the Webs, is collected by the pins l8 on thecylinder l1 and transferred as collected to the cylinder 23 and thenforwarded alternately in collected groups to the longitudinal folders 26and 29 directly from the cylinder 23 to the folder 26 through therollers 35 and 36,

and alternately from the cylinder 23 to the cylinder 25 and then to thefolder 29. In this case, the products being collected ones, are takenfrom the collecting cylinder I! only intermittently and the entireproduct of the machine can be handled by the longitudinal folderswithout increasing the speed of the folder. As with the first product,the sheets are slowed down in speed by the rollers 35 and 36.

A second product 22 (see Figure 4), comprising four cut-offs composed ofsheets. cut from the webs and collected by the pins l8 on the cylinderI! and transferred as. collected to the cylinder 23,.and then forwardedto either of the longitudinal folders 26 or 29, as desired,eitherdirectly from the. cylinder 23 to the folder 26 through the rollers 35and 36, or from the cylinder 23 to. the cylinder 25 and then to thefolder 29. In this case, the product being a collected one, is takenfrom the collecting cylinder i! only intermittently and the entireproduct of the machine can be handled by either longitudinal folderalone without increasing the speed of the folder. As with the otherproduct, the cut-offs are slowed down in speed by the rollers 35 and 36.

The embodiment shown in Figure 2, whereby closed headed products 6! and62, shown respectively in Figures 5 and 6, are formed, includes thesuitably associated web guiding rolls I0 and II and a pair of cuttingcylinders 63 and 64. In this instance, the sheets or cut-offs are outtwice the length of those out by the cylinders l2 and I3, of Figure 1,and are severed from the webs by cooperating web cutting devices 65 and66. The cylinder 64 is providedwith suitable sheet engaging members,such as pins 61, to engage what is the leading end of the webs aftereach group of sheets have been cut and carry them about the cylinder 64and between it and a folding and collecting cylinder 68. The collectingcylinder 68 is shown provided with a sheet engaging and collectingmember or pin 69 and a sheet tucking blade H, which cooperates with apair of jaws 12 and [3 on a transfer cylinder 14 to fold the cutoffsengaged thereby. The jaws 12 and 13, as is usual, may be madeinoperative at desired intervals to permit the collection of cut-offsupon the pins 69 and also operated to take cut-ofis from the collectingcylinder 68 and forward them selectively arranged in the followingmanner; first,

as cut from the web or webs, transferred by the pins 69 and foldedcrosswise by the cooperating blade H and jaws 12 and 13, to be laterfolded later folded longitudinally.

The transfer cylinder 14 by means of the jaws 12 and 13 receives thecut-offs, either collected or not collected, tucked therebetween by 1|the blade H on the collecting cylinder 68, folds them, and transfersalternately folded uncollected sheets to a second transfer cylinder 15and to the longitudinal folder 26 of the chopper type, or all of thefolded collected sheets to either the second transfer cylinder 15 or tothe longitudinal folder 26. The second transfer cylinder 15 is providedwith sheet gripping fingers 16, which may be operated to take cut-offsfrom the jaws I2 and I3.

In the form of folding mechanism shown n Figure 2, the crosswise foldedsheets collected or uncollected and carried by jaws l2 and 73 on thetransfer cylinder it pass between this cylinder and a roller Tl, whichis cut away on its periphery, as at 18, to release the sheets. Thesheets carried by the fingers 16 on the cylinder 75 pass between thiscylinder and a roller l9 which is similarly cut away on its periphery,as at ill, to release the sheets. After leaving the transfer cylinders Mand i5 and the rollers ii and 19 respectively, the crosswise foldedsheets are engaged, as in the form shown in Figure 1, between similarlydriven co-operating feeding rollers 35 and 36 whereby they are fed intoeither of the longitudinal folding devices 26 and 29 respectively. Thevarious cylinders, rollers, etc., are driven, as in the form shown inFigure 1, whereby the crosswise folded sheets will be forwarded to thefolder 2% or to the folder 29 at the proper speed to insure efficientoperation of these folders.

Depending upon the selected timing of operation of the jaws l2 and E3 onthe cylinder It, and the fingers 1'6 on the cylinder i5, at least twodifferent functions with as many different forms of closed headedproducts or signatures are possible, see Figures 5 and 6. For instance,a first product 5| having a closed head 82, see Figure 5, composed ofsheets cut from a web, or a plurality of assembled webs, is notcollected by the collecting cylinder 58 and is transferred to thecylinder 14 while being folded crosswise by the cooperation of the bladeH and the jaws l2 and 73. The product 8! s then alternately forwarded bythe cylinder '44 and the cylinder 15 to the slower speed rollers 35 and35, which forward it to the longitudinal folders 2E and 29 respectively,and the advantage of being able to operate the machine effici-ently athigh speed is obtained without unduly speeding up the folders 26 and 29.A second product 62 having a closed head 83, see Figure 6, composed ofsheets cut from the web or webs is collected by pins 69 on thecollecting cylinder 68 and transferred as collected to the transfercylinder !4 while being folded crosswise by the cooperating blade H andjaws l2 and I3, and then may be selectively forwarded either to thelongitudinal folder 26 or to the second transfer cylinder 15 and then tothe longitudinal folder 29.

It will be understood that the invention may be embodied in otherspecific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributesthereof, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiments beconsidered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and itwill be further understood that each and every novel feature andcombination present in or possessed by the mechanism herein disclosedforms a part of the invention included in this application.

What I laim is 1. In a folding mechanism for a machine operating upon aweb, means for associating and cutting webs, a folder for giving theproducts a cross fold, means for forwarding the folded productsalternately to two longitudinal folders, and product feeding meansdisposed adjacent to and in advance of each longitudinal folder andbeing adapted to reduce the speed of the products prior to thelongitudinal folding operation, whereby the crosswise folder can receivewebs at high speed and the longitudinal folders may operate atrelatively slow speed without curtailing the output of the machine.

2. In a folding mechanism for a machine operating upon a web, means forassociating and cutting webs, means to collect and forward the productsas cut to a longitudinal folder and including a'crosswise foldingdevice, and product feeding means disposed adjacent to and in advance ofsaid longitudinal folder and being adapted to slow down the speed of thecrosswise folded products prior to the longitudinal folding operation.

3. In a folding mechanism for a machine operating upon a web, means forcutting the web into cut-offs, a plurality of longitudinal cut-offfolding devices, rotatable cut-off carrying members to selectivelyforward the cut-offs toward said longitudinal folding devices, and apair of cooperating cut-off feeding rollers to receive the cut-offs fromeach of said carrying members and to feed them selectively to saidlongitudinally folding devices, said rollers being rotated to forwardthe cutoffs slower than said carrying members;

4. In a folding mechanism for a machine operating upon a web, means forcutting the web into cut-off products, a plurality of longitudinalfolding devices, folding and forwarding means for giving the products across-fold and selectively forwarding the cut and folded products toward5 said longitudinal folding devices, and a pair of cooperating feedingrollers to receive the products from said folding and forwarding meansand feding them to each of said longitudinally folding devices, saidrollers being rotated to forward the cut-off products slower than saidfolding and forwarding means.

.5. In a sheet folding mechanism for a printing machine, cuttingmechanism operable to cut sheets from a web, a collecting cylinderhaving mechanism thereon to receive the sheets as cut and to selectivelyforward them collected and not collected, a first transfer cylinderhaving means thereon to take and fold the collected and not collectedsheets from said collecting cylinder, a second transfer cylinder toreceive collected and not collected sheets from said first transfercylinder, a longitudinal sheet folding device to which the collected andnot collected sheets are forwarded from each one of said transfercylinders, and means to forward the sheets to each of said longitudinalfolders from the respective transfer cylinder.

6. In a sheet folding mechanism for a printing machine, cuttingmechanism operable to cut sheets from a Web, a collecting cylinderhaving mechanism thereon to receive the sheets as cut and selectivelyforward them collected and not collected, a first transfer cylinderhaving means thereon to take and fold the collected and not collectedsheets from said collecting cylinder, a second transfer cylinder havingmechanism thereon to selectively take and not take collected and notcollected sheets from said first transfer cylinder, a longitudinal sheetfolding device to which the collected and not collected sheets areforwarded from each one of said transfer cylinders, and means to forwardthe sheets to each of said longitudinal folders from the respectivetransfer cylinder.

7. In a sheet folding mechanism for a printing machine, cuttingmechanism operable to cut sheets from a web, a collecting cylinderhaving mechanism thereon to receive the sheets as out and to selectivelyforward them collected and not collected, a first transfer cylinder toreceive the collected and not collected sheets from said collectingcylinder, a second transfer cylinder to receive collected and notcollected sheets from said first transfer cylinder, a longitudinal sheetfolding device to which the collected and not collected sheets areforwarded from each one of said transfer cylinders, and a pair ofcooperating feeding rollers in advance of each of said longitudinalfolders and rotatable to forward the sheets slower to said folders thanthe sheets are fed to. said rollers;

8.'In a sheet folding machanism for a printing machine, cuttingmechanism operable to cut sheets from a web, a collecting cylinderhaving mechanism thereon to receive the sheets as cut and to selectivelyforward them collected and not collected, a first transfer cylinder toreceive the collected'and not collected sheets from said collectingcylinder, a second transfer cylinder having mechanisni'thereon toselectively take and not take collected and not collected sheets fromsaid first transfer cylinder, a longitudinal sheet folding device towhich the collected and not collected sheets are forwarded from said oneof said transfer cylinders, and a pair of cooperating feeding rollers inadvance of each of said longitudinal folders and rotatable to forwardthe sheets slower to said folders than the sheets are fed to saidrollers.

I 9. In a sheet folding mechanism for a printing machine, cuttingmechanism operable to cut sheets from a web, a collecting cylinderhaving mechanism thereon to receive the sheets as cut and to selectivelyforward them collected and not collected, a first transfer cylinderhaving means thereon to take and fold the collected and not collectedsheets from said collecting cylinder, a second transfer cylinder toreceive'c'ollected and not collected sheets from said first transfercylinder, a longitudinal sheet folding device to which the collected andnot collected sheets are forwarded from each one of said transfercylinders, and a pair of cooperating feeding rollers in advance of eachof said longitudinal folders and rotatable to forward the sheets slowerto said folders than the sheets are fed to said rollers.

10; In a sheet folding mechanism for a printing machine, cuttingmechanism operable to cut sheets'from a web, a collecting cylinderhaving mechanism thereon to receive the sheets as cut and selectivelyforward them collected and not collected, a first transfer cylinderhaving means thereon to take and fold the collected and not collectedsheetsfrom' said collecting cylinder, a second transfer cylinder havingmechanism thereon to selectively take and not take collected and notcollected sheets from said first transfer cylinder, a longitudinal sheetfolding device to which the collected and not collected'sheets' areforwarded from each one of said transfer cylinders, and a pair ofcooperating feeding rollers in advance of each of said longitudinalrollers and forward the sheets slower to said folders than the sheetsare fed to saidrollers.

11. In a folding mechanism for a machine operating upon a web, means forcutting the web into cut-offs, a longitudinal cut-off folding device, arotatable cut-off carrying member to forward the cut-offs toward saidlongitudinal folding device, a pair of cooperating cut-off feedingrollers to receive the cut-offs from said carrying member and to feedthem to said longitudinal folding device, said rollers being rotated toforward the cut-offs slower than said carrying members, and a rotatableroller cooperating with said carrying member to feed the cut-offs tosaid feeding rollers, said rotatable roller being adapted to releaseeach of the cut-offs as it is engaged by said feeding rollers.

12. In a folding mechanism for a machine operating upon a web, means forcutting the web into cut-offs, a plurality of longitudinal cut-offfolding devices, rotatable cut-off carrying members to selectivelyforward the cut-offs toward said longitudinal folding devices, a pair ofcooperating cut-off feeding rollers to receive the cut-offs from each ofsaid carrying members and to feed them selectively to said longitudinalfolding devices, said rollers being rotated to forward the cut-offsslower than said carrying members, and a rotatable roller cooperatingwith each of said carrying members to feed the cut-offs to said foldingrollers, each of said rotatable rollers being adapted to release each ofthe cut-offs as'it is engaged by said folding rollers.

13. In a folding mechanism for a machine operating upon a web, means forcutting the web into cut-off products, a plurality of longitudinalfolding devices, folding and forwarding means for giving the products across-fold and selectively forwarding the cut and folded products towardsaid longitudinal folding devices, a pair of 00- k operating feedingrollers to receive the products from said folding and forwarding meansand feeding them to each of said longitudinal folding devices, saidrollers being rotated to forward the cut-on products slower than saidfolding and forwarding means, and a rotatable roller cooperating Witheach of said carrying members to feed the cut-offs to said foldingrollers, each of said the collected and not collected sheets from saidfirst transfer cylinder, a longitudinal sheet folding device to whichthe collected and not collected sheets are forwarded from each one ofsaid transfer cylinders, a pair of cooperating feeding rollers inadvance of each of said longitudinal folders and rotatable to forwardthe sheets slower to said folders than the sheets are fed to saidrollers, and a rotatable roller cooperating with each of said transfercylinders to feed the sheets to said feeding rollers, each rotatableroller being cut away over a portion of its periphery to adapt it torelease the sheets between it and the cooperating transfer cylinder asthe sheets are engaged by said feeding rollers.

HERMAN P. CLAUBERG.

